Speaker Kevin McCarthy is in a difficult position due to a revolt from the hard-right members of his party. He is facing two unfavorable options: either he caters to the demands of the hard right and pushes through bills with no hope of passing the Senate, or he teams up with Democrats to get things done but faces constant threats to his job from his own party. The recent attack from nearly a dozen extreme right Republicans on the GOP leadership shut down the House and created a political crisis for Mr. McCarthy. The annual spending bills that are beginning to take shape now that the debt limit crisis is over could be at the forefront of this debacle. Members of both parties are worried that the tactics used by the hard right could lead to a stalemate over those bills, potentially causing a government shutdown and an automatic cut in spending next year.
McCarthy’s problem is that regardless of what he chooses, either catering to the hard right or finding consensus with Democrats, he’ll have to deal with criticism. If he goes with the hard right on spending, it most likely forfeits chances of winning Democratic support. However, if he tries to find consensus with Democrats on the spending bills, he could face the wrath of conservative Republicans. The debt limit agreement included a provision that says spending will be cut by 1% across the board in 2025 if Congress fails to pass the appropriations bills by Jan. 1. This arrangement was to enforce the compromise, which has not been happening in years. Now, those responsible for writing the spending bills see the autopilot approach as possibly dangerous, since House conservatives may prompt automatic cuts even in defense programs, which could alarm Senate military hawks. Mr. McCarthy’s far-right wing says it does not want any bipartisan cooperation. For Republicans, it is much too early to consider a pact with Democrats.
